Tournament #5 signifies going past the halfway point for our club season.  Exciting times!  I managed to get on Fish Trap and drive around for 15 minutes before the off limits began at 6pm.  Between map study and what I saw.  I was debating to start on the Island Reeds and weedline in front of the landing or some nice looking cattails halfway down the lake.  Neither area was I able to drop a line on.

I mulled it over with my partner Patrick, we decided to try the Cattails first thing.  We started out throwing topwaters around the front edge, I threw a Vixen and he worked a Pop-R, no action.  We then moved in and covered the edges and pockets with Jigs.  Patrick got one on a brown All-Terrain jig.  I tried a Snag Proof Tournament Frog up in the middle over some matted grass and pads, not even a boil.  I then broke off on a Texas rigged LFT Flipper on the other end.  We then hopped around a little trying some reeds, docks and other visible cover.  I caught one keeper on off a jet ski lift and the other off a sunken log, both came on a Fall Craw 3/8oz Tru-Tungsten Jig.

Around the corner we hit some pads and Patrick got a nice fish on a Bronzeye, he also had a couple more on that he lost.  I had a few strikes on the Vixen, but could connect.  I caught a couple shorts on a Chat/White SWL Spinnerbait.  We hopped out onto the weedline in that area and got a couple northerns.  We then hit a long stretch of docks, and I got one more keeper.  Things were a little slow, so we headed to the island where we thought about starting.  We each got one quick keeper.  I got mine on a Red Bug Lake Fork Twitch Worm on a 3/16oz Tru-Tungsten Ikey Head Jig.  Patrick got his on a drop shot with a Main Vein Reaction Innovations Flirt Worm.  We then cruised across the lake to another area I had highlighted on the map and drove over quickly the evening before.  I caught 3 more keepers on this weedline, allowing me to cull, all on the Twitch Worm and Ikey Head Jig combo.

With about 20 minutes left, we hit some docks and I culled two more times with the Tru-Tungsten Jig.  My total for 5 fish was a measly 7.6lbs.  I was hoping to get closer to 10lbs on the day.  I ended up in 8th out of 14 for the day and lost more ground to the club leader and it left me 5.3lbs out of first.  Luckily I had a bye in the Match Tournament.  Two guys tied for 1st with 10.9 lbs for the day.  In review, sounds like we should have went to the island, as one boat both got their limits there.  Oh well, those cattails just looked so good.  See Full Results.

Looking forward to Shamineau, I have fished that lake before and I started in the 4th hole, and my last hole is where I caught the big fish in my previous tournament.

Rich
www.richlindgren.com
basstournament.blogspot.com

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